


An Unbreakable Connection

by CloudDjinni



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Healing, Nightmares, One Shot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-24 09:56:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18569044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloudDjinni/pseuds/CloudDjinni
Summary: Xehanort may be gone, yet he still treads on the minds of the recently united Wayfinder Trio. When terrors of the past continue to plague Terra in the night, he finds himself confiding in his closest and most endearing companion.





	An Unbreakable Connection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mimiplaysgames](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimiplaysgames/gifts).



> A short blurb for TerrAqua day... it's my first attempt at writing these two, so hopefully I captured them well.  
> A lot of fics exist with this concept but I love it and decided to take a stab at it.  
> Also, I'd like to give a big thanks to mimiplaysgames for encouraging me to write.

Lying awake in bed seemed to be the norm for Terra these days. His gaze glued to the white ceiling, counting the small dried bubbles in the paint. Or staring at his window, watching the folds in the curtains sway from the soft breeze leaking in from outside. Or even his hands, gently tracing the crevices across his skin, like he was checking to see if they were his own. Like making sure they were not the gnarled hands of an old man or giant paws of darkness. 

         When the hours grew really late and his eyes would grow sore from squinting in the dark, Terra would find himself gazing into the vanity mirror on the opposing wall, almost involuntary. Like he was expecting to see white strands of hair begin to grow into his roots and his eyes flash gold. 

         To be perfectly honest, Terra could still see faint flaws that had disfigured his body from the last decade. Still a jagged white scar over his chest from Xehanort's Keyblade. His ears had a bit of a point to them, ergo his desperate attempts to keep them hidden. And even a cluster of stark white streaks tucked in the back of his hair, near the nape of his neck. 

         Terra didn't want to see any of it, much less let his closest friends. He knew it would immediately put them on edge and possibly throw them into panic. They would grow afraid of him. And that was the last thing he wanted. It was almost like he feared them more then they would fear him. 

         Yet, he couldn't pull his eyes away from the mirror. He was growing worried that it would start to become an obsession. 

         Terra squeezed his eyes shut and turned over in bed, away from the mirror. The room was cold, even with the multiple blankets that he had piled on top of himself, and chills repeatedly rolled up and down his arms. 

_ I can't stay like this _ . Terra mashed his face into his pillow.  _ I can't let the past continue to haunt me.  _

         Growing irritated that his body refused to sleep, Terra sat up, the blankets falling into his lap. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed confirmation that Xehanort wasn't here. That the old man wasn't breathing down his neck, or feeding the darkness inside of him. 

_ Aqua… Ven…  _ His thoughts shifted to his friends.  _ They're okay. They're still here. I just need to go check and make sure.  _

         Slowly rising from the cold mattress, Terra crept towards his door, trying his best to avoid his reflection in the vanity mirror. 

         The door opened slowly with a faint creak, and he stepped out into the hallway; the only light was emitting from the moon, shining through the tall windows. 

         Terra took a short breath. He just had to make sure. 

That he wasn't alone in this cold, empty castle. 

         Ven's room was only a little ways down the hall. His door was open just a crack, with blue light streaming into the darkness. 

         Terra peaked inside and wave of relief flooded through him. The boy was safe, bundled up in a mass of quilts, his shoulders rising and falling rhythmically to his steady breathing. His blonde hair poked out against his pillow like a ray of sunshine. 

         Slowly stepping away from the door, Terra sighed with content and pressed a flat hand against his chest to slow his racing heart. Ven was still here. Safe and sound. 

_ I'm just paranoid. _ He told himself. 

Terra made his way to Aqua's room, which was further down the hallway. Hers was up against the side of the castle, with a huge window stretched on the wall by her room. It cast silver light over the cold floor, and as Terra continued to make his way down, he caught a glimpse of his own shadow, looming on the ground behind him. 

         It was large, looking almost twisted and hunched over like a beast, exhausted from it's continuous existence. He tensed, almost expecting golden eyes to emerge from the shadow, and attempt to swallow him up. 

_ Stop! Stop it! _ Terra jeered at himself.  _ What kind of Keyblade wielder is afraid of his own shadow? _ He bit his lip and turned his focus back to Aqua's door. Something to keep him grounded. 

         As his hand reached the doorknob of the room, he realized that her door was also ajar, just enough for slip his hand in. 

         Terra moved his head until he could glance through the opening. He squinted through the dark until he could see across the room to where her bed was. 

It was empty. 

         Terra felt his stomach plummet. He gently pushed open the door a bit, and poked his head in. Could he just not see her?

         No. It was still empty. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt as if a surge of darkness was trying to envelop him. A sharp sting dug into the scar on his chest. 

_ Where is she?  _ Terra's thoughts began to grow frantic.  _ She didn't fall back into the Realm of Darkness, did she? Did she run away? Was she afraid of something? Please let her be okay _ -

         “Terra?”

A soft voice halted his trainwreck of thoughts and he jumped slightly at the sound. He whirled around, only to have his eyes fall on a girl: gentle, calm, and with deep blue hair that look almost silver in the dark. 

         “Aqua.” Terra felt his mouth open and close like a fish. Here she was. Safe and sound. He couldn't stop himself from doing a fast look-over. She was clad in shorts and a tank top, and one of the thin straps had slipped off of her shoulder. His eyes drifted from the soft curves of her thighs and arcs of her hips to her slender waist and rounded chest-

_ Cut it out! _ Terra forced his gaze the ground, and continued to scold himself.  _ What the heck is wrong with you? _

         “What's wrong?”

Aqua took a step towards Terra, and he got a closer look at her face. Her eyes were beautiful, as always, but they were wide and alert, like something had sapped out her serenity. She was holding a steaming teacup in one hand and her knuckles were white around the handle. And her stance was rigid, like she was prepared to strike out at any sign of a threat. 

__ A raw pain dug into Terra's heart. _ She's not scared of me, is she? _

         “Nothing's wrong.” He shifted his eyes to the wall behind her. “I… just wanted to make sure you were safe.”

         Aqua brought both hands around the teacup. He could tell she was trying to meet his eyes, but he refused to look. 

         “Why are you up? Walking around with the lights off?” Terra hurried on to speak before she could ask him any questions.

She hesitated before answering. 

         “... I couldn't sleep, and I thought it'd be a good idea to get a drink or something. I didn't want to wake you guys.” She paused. “Although it looks like I did.”

Terra blinked a couple of times at her comment. 

         “What? You didn't wake me; I was already up.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I couldn't sleep either.”

Aqua sighed softly with amusement.

         “Guess that makes the two of us.” She paused. “Did you check on Ven?”

         Terra nodded. “He's fine. He's asleep.”

         Aqua glanced down at her tea. “That's good… I should probably try to sleep. Before the tea gets cold.”

         “Oh, yeah!” Terra took a step back to allow her to the doorway and laughed nervously. “Of course…”

          Aqua walked past him, but she stopped when she was standing inside the doorway. 

         “Terra?”

         “Yeah?”

She stared into the dark clenching the teacup, her brow furrowed. Until she looked up at him. 

         “Do you think… you could sleep here tonight?” 

         Terra took a sharp breath through his nose. Did he hear her right?

         “What?”

Aqua bit her lip. 

         “I keep dreaming about… that place. Like I'm still trapped there, alone.” Her breath hitched. “I'm afraid.”

          Terra had never heard her say that before. Normally, she had such strong control over her emotions, her face always placid and calm, never letting her heart give way to fear. But considering what she had experienced… 12 long years, wandering blind in the dark and tirelessly fighting for her life. Alone, not knowing if help was ever coming. 

         His timid fears didn't seem to compare. He had no right to seek solace for himself. Not after what she had been through. 

         “Aqua, I…” He wanted to embrace her, but he didn't want to make anything worse. “... If it'll help you sleep, then of course.”

         The girl smiled slightly and walked inside the room. She placed the teacup on the dresser next to her bed, and started to pull at the sheets that were tucked against the wall. 

         Terra stood awkwardly in the doorway until he took a few steps and closed the door behind him. He walked over towards Aqua, who then gestured to the bed. 

          “You should probably get in first.” She grabbed one of her shoulders. “It might be a bit too small for you… I'm sorry.”

         “It's fine, Aqua. Don't trouble yourself.”

Terra gently lowered himself onto the mattress and slipped into the sheets. It was a bit smaller than he would have liked, with his back pressed against the wall, but he didn't mind, especially when Aqua climbed in next to him.

         “Thanks, Terra.” She whispered, her eyes drifting shut.

Terra said nothing. He rested his head against the pillow, facing her. Her eyelashes were darker than he remembered, splayed out like black flower petals. There was a slight splash of freckles over her nose that he had never noticed before. And her hair had the slight scent of lemon, probably from the tea she had made.

         He wasn't sure how long he stared at her in the dark, until he felt her shift next to him. She rested one of her hands against his shoulder and the other against his collarbone.

         “Terra, you're so cold.” She said to him. “Should I get another blanket?”

         “I'm alright.” He responded. “It's fine when you're with me.”

Aqua laughed at his comment and delivered a playful punch to his chest. 

         “You're such a sap.”

Terra smiled. He hadn't heard her laugh in such a long time. Even if it was a small laugh, it was enough. 

         He sighed softly, and gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, with his fingers resting on her waist. When she didn't protest, he cradled his head against her shoulder, her chin poking against his ear. 

         Aqua responded to his actions accordingly; her palms were resting against his chest and she had looped one of her legs around his. 

         Terra exhaled slowly. For once, he felt safe. He didn't feel the constant chill of darkness that always plagued him. Aqua felt soft and light in his arms, and still grounded, like there was no wind or storm strong enough to pull him away. He felt her delicate hand reached up and fondle the back of his hair and he drifted to sleep. 

  
  


         Xehanort was in the room. Terra could feel it; the darkness flowing from the man's body in waves, swallowing up any light in tumultuous gulps. Everything had grown dark; the silver light casting from the window was eaten up, and all that was left was a faint red glow from the darkness. 

         Terra opened his eyes. Or where they already open? He couldn't tell. The air seemed to grow thick and humid, like he was trying to breath through a funnel. 

         Aqua was cold in his arms. Her body felt lifeless. Dead. Devoid of light. He wanted to press her behind him and hold up his Keyblade, to act as a shield. He couldn't let her get hurt. Not anymore than she already had.  

         And yet, he was frozen. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. All he could do was watch. 

         And Terra's greatest fear appeared before his eyes. Xehanort, melting from a corridor of darkness, his yellow eyes trained hard on him. 

         The old man grinned, his mouth pinched at the corners like he was trying to keep from laughing. He took a step toward the two of them. 

         Terra felt his heart stop. He was defenseless. And the man of his nightmares was here to take him back. 

         “Why, hello Terra!” Xehanort's voice was like an old squeaky hinge, tumbling over itself. “What a surprise! How good to see you again!”

         The voice was forced old memories to emerge in the back of Terra's brain, the ones he tried to hard to repress. The voice that droned on and on during the 12 years he had withered in darkness. 

         Xehanort began to walk over to bed, his body hunched over. He chuckled.

         “You haven't changed. Still the cowardly child I saw long ago. Weak and consistently swayed by emotions.”

         If he could speak, Terra would've cursed at him. But all he could manage was an angered breath.

         Xehanort turned his gaze to Aqua's sleeping form and, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder, wrenched her free from Terra's grasp. Terra could only watch her slip from his arms onto the sheets next to him.

         “She's quite pretty.” Xehanort gently brushed her cheek with his fingers and his eyes drifted lavishly over her body. “I'd hate for something bad to happen to her…”

         Terra felt hot rage bubble in his gut at the sight of Xehanort touching her. 

         “Don't…” He found his voice after a moment of struggling. “Don't you dare do anything to her!”

         Xehanort sported his strange smile again. “Oh, no need to worry, dear Terra.”

His hand shot out and latched around Terra's neck. “I won't be the one doing anything. To her, at least.”

         It felt as if there was hot iron clamped against his throat. He couldn't breath; no air in or out, and his vision was slowly growing fuzzy. Terra clawed at Xehanort's hands, but they seemed like they were made of steel. He started choking and spit started to froth up the sides of his mouth.

         Until the man released his hold. Sweet air flooded back into Terra's lungs with tears streaming down his cheeks. 

         His relief was cut short, however when a slicing pain wracked his body. 

         Terra cried out, the scar on his chest burning like the flesh was being stripped away with the claws of a giant beast. There was darkness flickering around his body like black fire, and it was almost like it was growing wet, pouring on his skin. 

         Terra screamed in agony as the wet shadows rained over him in scorching, acid-like drops, splattering over his lap and the white sheets. He cut off in a bout of coughing and gasping and glanced up at Xehanort, still standing over him. 

         “What… what did you do?” Terra croaked. His throat felt like it was being torn open every time he spoke, and he could hardly see the man through his tears.

         “I just opened up your heart.” He said it like it was obvious. “All of your darkness... This is what it's done to you.”

         “Stop it!” Terra shrieked. He threw his hands over his ears, but he could still hear a high pitched ringing.

         The old man reached over and violently grabbed Terra's face, fingernails digging into his skin through the gloves. 

          “Your heart is made of darkness.” He said it in a hushed tone, but it seemed unearthly loud, like glass scraping on stone. “You have no light left in you. You belong to me.”

         Terra tried to pull away, but it was like Xehanort was inside his head now, words pounding in his skull.

         “Now… eliminate her.”

         It was as if he was being pulled on strings. Terra watched his arm extend outwards, over Aqua's body. A flash of silver, and a Keyblade appeared in his hands. Long, twisted, and sharp. Xehanort's Keyblade.

         “No, stop it! Aqua!” Terra yelled, but his voice clogged up in his throat and he felt silent. All he could do was watch himself kill his best friend, utterly helpless. Again.

         Terra raised the Keyblade over his head, and he clamped his free hand over her soft mouth to keep her from screaming. 

         Aqua's eyes fluttered open, terrified, and Terra caught a reflection of yellow eyes in her deep blue ones.

         He brought the Keyblade down with enough force to sever her in half.  

  
  


         Terra jerked awake, gasping for the air he had struggled for. Shallow breathing followed and he could feel his whole body trembling. He felt hot and cold at the same time, with pockets of sweat looping around his neck and lining the waistband of his shorts. 

         Slowly, Terra tried to open his eyes. They lifted just enough for him to see that it was dark before they slammed shut again. He tried again with the same result. 

         The nightmare kept playing in his head. Xehanort's grip on his throat. The intense pain over his body. And bringing the Keyblade down on Aqua. 

_ Just a nightmare. _ He tried to assure himself.  _ And nothing more. _

It certainly wasn't the first nightmare he had experienced. To be perfectly honest, he hadn't had a proper sleep since they had returned to the castle. But his dreams had always revolved around the past. No Aqua or Ven involved.  

Until now.

         Terra swallowed and tried to take another deep breath, only for it to cut off into short ones. A small whimper escaped his throat, but he bit his tongue to keep to from continuing.

         “Terra?” 

Aqua's voice floated over him like layer of mist. It settled over his panic, gradually calming it. 

         “Aqua?”

Terra managed to open his eyes and he could see that she had her face inches from his, her brow crinkled in concern. She had placed a hand up against his cheek, which felt cool next to his burning skin.

         “You're gonna be okay, alright?” She told him. “Whatever you saw wasn't real.” 

Terra could only stare at her lips moving. He couldn't quite comprehend what she was saying. He could only recall her terrified face before he had tried to kill her.

         “I sorry.” He whispered. “I didn't mean to, I couldn't…”

         “Terra.”

Aqua placed both of her hands on either side of his face, massaging his cheekbones with her thumbs.

         “That wasn't real. I'm real.” She spoke softly but sternly, trying to cast out his doubt.

         Terra swallowed. 

This was the real Aqua. Xehanort wasn't here. They were safe. 

         “Aqua.” Terra stared into her blue eyes, the color of the sea. There was no reflection of gold in them. He took a shaky breath. “I'm sorry.”

         “Don't be.” Aqua smiled. “You're okay now. Xehanort isn't here.”

         Terra felt his heart skip a beat.

         “...how did you know it was Xehanort?”

         “You spoke his name in your sleep.” Aqua fingered his bangs. 

         Terra bit his lip and turned his head so he wouldn't have to look at her. 

         “I dream of him a lot.”

Aqua closed her eyes. 

         “We are all bothered by the past. I don't know if it will ever let us go. All we can do it stick together.”

         Terra nodded slowly. He swallowed, and pulled her closer to him. He couldn't bring himself to kiss her, but he managed to brush noses with her and rest his temple against hers until she tucked her head under his chin. Aqua let him pull her back into his embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso and her knees touching his hips. 

         Terra pressed his lips against the top of her head. 

         The past might never let them go, but they were tied together with a connection that not even their fears could break.


End file.
